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Thera 2.48: Vajjita
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(168):Vajjita Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =168. Vajjita= Reborn in this Buddha-age in a wealthy Kosalan family, after deceasing from the Brahma(ArchAngel) world, he ever wept in his mother's arms. And because he could not endure the touch of a woman, he came to be called Vajjita - 'abstaining.' Come of age, he saw the Lord(Buddha) work the twin-miracle,1 and believing, he entered the Monk’s order, and acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge). Upon that remembering his former existence, he was stirred with holy emotion, and said: ---- 215 Saɱsaraɱ dīghamaddhānaɱ gatīsu parivattisaɱ,|| Apassaɱ ariyasaccāni andhabhūto puthujjano.|| || 216 Tassa 28 me appamattassa saɱsārā vinalīkatā,|| Gati1 sabbā samucchinnā natthi dāni punabbhavo' ti.|| || ---- 215 A traveller I these long, long ages past, And round about the realms of life I have whirled; One of the many-folk and blind as they, No Ariyan truths had I the power to see. 216 156 But earnestly I strove for light and calm; And now all shattered lies the endless way. All future bournes abolished utterly, Now comes never more rebirth for me. ---- And this became the Thera's declaration of aññā(supreme attainment). ---- 1 Cf. p. 36, n. 1. ---- =2.5-8 168 Commentary on the stanza of Vajjitatthera= The stanza starting with saṃsaraṃ dīghamaddhānaṃ constututes that of the venerable Thera Vajjita. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in a border village, sixtyfive aeons (kappa) ago; on having attained the age of intellignece, he became a forest wanderer and on his roaming about, he, one day saw a silent buddha, named Upasanta, who was dwelling in a hill cave. On having noticed the serenity of that silent buddha, he became pious-minded and made his reverential offering of flowers of the Champaka tree (to him). On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings, and was reborn in a wealthy family, in the kingdom of Kosala, when this Buddha arose; beginning from the day he was born, he wept on having reached the hand of woman. It is said that he had come here after having passed away from the brahmā world; since he could not tolerate the contact with women, therefore, his name became Vajjita because of his avoidance of feminine touch. On having come of age, he happened to have seen the twin miracle of the Master, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, placed himself in the path of developing spiritual insight (bhāvanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge on that very day. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna.-- “The self-awakened silent buddha, Upasanta dwelt inside a hill; taking with me a Champaka flower, I approached the most excellent of men. Pious-minded and good-hearted, I held the flower up with both of my hands and made my reverential offering to the invincible, most excellent silent sage. It was sixty five aeons (kappa) ago, that I made my reverential offering of flowers; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my making reverential offering to silent buddha. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, become an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge, he spoke two stanzas with spiritual (dhamma) remorse after having remembered his own former abodes. 215. “Wandereing about my rounds of repeated rebirths for a long period of time, I moved myself about (parivattisaṃ) in existences (gatīsu). I was one of common category (puthujjana), who had become blind (andhabhūto), not seeing the noble truths. 216. To that me who have become diligent, rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra) had been destroyed (vinaḷīkatā); all existences (gati) had been well cut off; there is now no more new existence. There, saṃsaraṃ means wandering about rounds of repeated rebirths; running well now and then in this and that existence, by way of taking and rejecting (nikkhepa). Dīghamaddhānaṃ means: for a long time in the circle of repeated rebirths whose beginning is unthinkable (anādimati) for an all-round immeasurable period of time. Gatīsu means in excellent existences and evil existences as a result and consequence of deeds well done and ill done. Parivattisaṃ means: I made myself move about (parivattiṃ) now and then, by way of passing away (cavana) and springing up (upapajjana), revolving like a potter’s wheel (ghaṭīyanta). He said about the cause of that rolling all round (paribbhamanto), however, thus: “Apassaṃ ariyasaccāni, andhabhūto puthujjano.” Not seeing, not aptly penetrating by means of the eye of knowledge the fourfold noble truths beginning with painful misery (dukkha); consequent upon that even, I became blinded by the darkness of ignorance, and being a man of common category (puthujjano) on account of such causes as such productions and so on (jananādīhi) of individuals (puthūnaṃ), I moved about in existences (gati); this is the interpretation. On that account, even, the Blessed One said thus: “Catunnaṃ bhikkhave ariyasaccānaṃ ananubodhā appativedhā evamidaṃ dīghamaddhānaṃ sandhāvitaṃ saṃparitaṃ mamañ c’eva tumhākañ ca (because of not knowing and proper pernetration of the fourfold noble truths, O monks! There is in this manner this running about rounds of repeated rebirths of me as well as of you for a long period of time).” Tassa means: when I was formerly but a common monk (puthujjana) in the manner as has been said, now, by means of the method given by the Master, appamattassa, means: when I have established myself after having made myself reach the top of the development (bhāvanā) of calm composure (samatha) and spiritual insight (vipassanā) for the proper practice (paṭipatti) of diligence. Saṃsārā vinaḷīkatā means: the deprevity of deeds (kammakilesā) which has gained the name “Saṃsārā (circle of repeated rebirths)” since by means of these, creatures wander rond and round (saṃsaranti), had been well cut off, with reed removed (vigatanaḷā) and made rootless (nimmūlā) by means of the foremost path (megga). Sabbā gatī samucchinnā means all such existences (gati) as purgatory and so on, had but been cut off and destroyed because of the condition of having done away with the reeds of circle of repeated rebirths due to deeds (kamma) and depravity (kilesa); but consequently n’atthi dāni punabbhavo means: there is now no more new existence in future; this even, became the Thera’s revelation of his Arahantship (aññā). The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Vajjita is complete. ----